Slaughtneil begin Ulster defence

Having successfully defended their Derry senior hurling, football and camogie titles, Slaughtneil now turn their attention to the Ulster campaign starting with the club hurling championship.

Having defeated Banagher in the county final, Slaughtneil manager Mickey McShane now has the task of preparing his charges for an Ulster club SHC clash against Antrim champions Dunloy.

And McShane told the Derry Journal that the players are eager to keep their remarkable run going as they look to defend their provincial title on a number of fronts.

"The physical side is the easier bit. You can get guys to the ice bath and do recovery sessions in the pool. But these guys never go into a big game not looking forward to it," said McShane.

"When it gets to this time of year, when these high profile games come and there's more at stake, these boys just love it. They seem to be able to get themselves up for games, there has never been a problem with that."